


Say Goodnight and Go

by itzypink



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, LGBTQ Themes, frienemies to lovers i guess, um also will explore a few tropes but it's not as cliche as u think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzypink/pseuds/itzypink
Summary: Jennie's a bitch. And Lisa's the only one who can call her out on it. By a curious twist of fate, they accompany each other through the struggles of university, and their journeys of self-discovery.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	Say Goodnight and Go

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic, so please be nice <3 Enjoy!

**Chapter One**

Jennie Kim was all alone.

_ Not that she wasn't used to it _ , she thought, as she lugged her black Rimowa suitcase behind her. Since she was young, her mother loved shipping her off to new, "exciting" places. At first, she loved the idea of living away from her parents and getting to do whatever she wanted, but at 18, she was tired of running away.  _ Running away from what?  _ She didn't know. But the more she thought about it, the more she decided to push that thought away.

With a deep sigh, she paused in front of her home for the next four years, peering through her cat-eye Gentle Monster sunglasses. The stark white walls of the building contrasted with the gray skies overhead, perfectly encapsulating her state of mind.  _ So this was YG University _ . She breathed it all in, assuring herself that four years wouldn't be too long, right? Get a business degree, her mother said, and  _ then _ she could pursue her songwriting career.  _ If it's not too late, that is _ . 

Suddenly, she felt a cold drop on her shoulder. She snapped out of her thoughts and hurriedly entered the building, inadvertently tracking in mud.  _ Shit _ . Her mud-ridden footprints were begging for attention, highlighted against the stark white tiles of the lobby. Her eyes stung as she wafted the scent of musty Chlorox. She knew they had probably just finished cleaning, and here she was, messing everything up. Again. 

"Miss Jennie Kim?" a husky voice called out. Jennie looked up, and her face turned bright red. The source of the voice belonged to the most beautiful woman Jennie had ever seen. With bright eyes and lips seemingly shaped by the gods, Jennie was taken aback. She watched the woman's eyes fall on the glaringly obvious mud beneath her feet. Jennie didn't know what to do. The footprints were arrows that pointed at her shoes, as if to say,  _ it's her, it's her, she's guilty! _

"Um, yeah," Jennie replied coldly. "That's me." She took off her sunglasses and placed them on her head. "Don't you guys have a mat around here?"  _ Aaaaand now she hates me. _

Jennie was taken aback as the woman laughed and shook her head. "I just sent them to the laundry, not knowing it was going to rain today. Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up." She smiled warmly, and continued. "I'm Jisoo, by the way. I'll be your resident assistant. I'm a third year student, and I'm taking up microbiology." She paused, as if waiting for Jennie to reciprocate. Jennie just wasn't in the mood. She was tired, and she knew Jisoo was just trying to be polite. "Um, do you need some help with your stuff?"

Jisoo didn't even hesitate to wait for Jennie's reply as she took the luggage and started to climb up the stairs. "You'll be staying alone in 417. Since we found out you were arriving at the last minute, we couldn't really open a slot and look for another roommate."

Jennie didn't know if she was relieved or annoyed.  _ I really will live alone and die alone, I guess. _ Jennie humored Jisoo's small talk as she followed her goddess-like figure. While talking about her major and the classes she was going to take, Jennie watched incredulously as Jisoo ascended the staircase effortlessly, knowing just how much she had packed into that suitcase. She couldn't tell if she was annoyed or amazed; possibly a mix of both.

She was ready to crash by the time the door to her room swung open.

"I'll be in the room across the hall, okay? 405?" Jisoo quickly waved goodbye. Jennie lingered a little longer, wanting to be anything but alone. But she was.

Jennie spent the rest of the night listening to the soft pattering of the drizzle. She had fallen into a deep slumber when she woke up to wet droplets on her face. She got up. Even her pillowcase was wet. The rain continued to fall in angry streams, blurring her vision of the green lawn outside through the window above her head. She reached out to shut it, only to find out it was closed this whole time.

***

"All right, class. Turn your books to page three hundred and ninety four. We'll be having our first test today to see how quickly you've been able to pick up on the lessons so far." Groans quickly erupted from the class.

Jennie looked around desperately. This morning was off to a bad start. First, she got lost on her way to class. Then, like all university classes, she accidentally chose a seat that someone had been sitting in since the beginning of the week. Now the guy behind her wouldn't stop moaning about how the new girl sat in Yeji's seat and "threw off the equilibrium of the established seating".  _ As if where you sat for an hour and a half today would matter _ , she scoffed. 

"Um, professor," she said, approaching the sullen man in an all-black ensemble. She stood up straight against his commanding presence, with unwavering assertiveness. "I'm afraid I don't have the book yet. I actually just got to campus yesterday because of my late enrollment?" When the man didn't seem to reply, Jennie cleared her throat and continued. "I'm sure you've heard about me, my name is Jennie Kim--"

"Yes, Miss Jennie Kim, I've heard all about you and your mother," the professor sneered. "I suppose that's why you're enrolled late, isn't it?" Jennie was silent. What he was instigating was true, after all. She had purposely missed the deadline of applications, hoping she could stay with her friends a little longer in Florida. Her mother was livid, and somehow found a way to donate a building to the school to allow Jennie to clarify for the late enrollment. It wasn't Jennie's fault she had an overbearing mother, but she knew how it looked to other people.  _ I don't even want to be here. _

"Well?" the professor continued, snapping her out of her thoughts. "If you're here to expect handouts, this is not the place for that."

"No, that's not what I meant at all--"

"That's good to hear," the professor turned his back on Jennie, flipping through the pages of his notebook nonchalantly. "Use the rest of our class time to go and procure the book for yourself, then. I expect your answers to my test no later than 5PM at my desk tomorrow."

***

Korea was  _ cold _ . That was the first thing Lisa thought of as she shivered in her oversized red hoodie. She had never known cold, after all. She could always count on her home in Thailand to feel humid. Rain or shine, it was something you could always count on, and Lisa didn't even realize how much she would miss that reliability.

Still, she was ecstatic. She was high on the feeling of getting a full scholarship at YG University--its flag decorating the walls of her room since she was five years old, a hazy dream that felt intangible, not until recently. On top of that, she managed to earn enough money from her barista gigs last summer to join their prestigious dance camp. It was all falling into place.

_ Breathe it in, Lisa!  _ she thought to herself as she hopped off the sidewalk with a beat in her step and entered the YG Coop. Life had never been better. Or so she thought.

She bolted to the math section, eager to get this errand out of the way so she could explore more of the campus. She laid her eyes on the math module she needed, but her heart dropped instantly as she checked the price tag. Three hundred US Dollars?! Her palms started to sweat. She wouldn't be getting her book allowance until two weeks later, because they had yet to process her papers. As rigorous as the university's curriculum was (not to mention how ridiculously anti-poor, as most universities are), she knew she would fall behind if she didn't get a copy right away.

"Excuse me," she said, as she approached one of the staff members. "Would you know if I can buy this secondhand?"

The staff member looked at her, confused. "No English."

Lisa's anxiety quickly started to overcome her cheery disposition that felt immovable five minutes ago. Her thoughts started flooding in all at once. What did she expect, coming to a country where she knew nothing of its language aside from  _ Annyeonghasseyo _ ? Granted, this was an international school, but this is still a foreign country. What was she even thinking? Did she think this through? She had thought about how to get here, but now that she was here, she suddenly realized she had no idea what to do, or what her plan was. And she was so cold, and all she had was one pair of thermal leggings... 

Her thoughts kept spiraling down until a sharp voice from behind interrupted. "She's asking if she can buy it secondhand," the voice said in Korean. Lisa turned around, confused. to meet her gaze with her saving grace.

"There's none left since it's been a week since the semester started. You can try borrowing from the library?" the staff member replied, and was soon quickly translated into English for Lisa. Lisa met her gaze with her saving grace: a pretty girl with sharp eyes and soft features. She was the kind of person who would walk into a room, and everyone would turn their heads.  _ Lisa _ certainly couldn't keep her eyes off of her.

" _ Kamsahamnida _ ," Lisa replied in a small voice, both to the staff member and the girl, who had still not introduced herself.

"'Kay," the girl replied. "Do you mind if I take that? I need it for my class, too. Thanks." Lisa was stunned at the interaction. Her face felt hot as their fingers brushed against each other. It was electrifying.

Lisa tried to compose herself, checking her embarrassingly large map of the campus to find the directions to the library. Of course, she could find it on her own, but what fun would that be?

"Um, wait, do you know where the library is?" Lisa turned to look at the ethereal girl, but she was already out of earshot. Following her to the cashier, Lisa tapped her on her shoulder.

"What?" the girl said coldly, handing the cashier her black credit card.

"Oh," Lisa replied, stunned. She blinked. "I was just wondering if you know where the library is. This campus is so big and I've already spent a lot of time looking for this building, so it would be a great help if you could give me directions."

"W--" 

"Card declined," the cashier said.

The girl's head snapped back to the cashier. "What? Try again." Lisa suddenly got the feeling that this was a bad idea. Her secondhand embarrassment started to rise, but as much as she wanted to back away, her feet were planted on the ground, and her eyes glued to the exchange in front of her.

"Declined."

"Are you sure? Maybe your connection is down or something." Jennie tapped her feet impatiently, but Lisa could tell she was starting to get worried. 

"I just finished a transaction before you, Ma'am." The cashier smiled sarcastically. "I can assure you, your card is being declined."

"What--"

"You can try borrowing from the library instead," the cashier said, handing the girl back her card, effectively ending their conversation. 

Lisa smiled brightly. "Well, I guess we're going the same way then!" Her bright eyes twinkled as she rediscovered the bounce in her step, as Jennie trailed behind her.

***

Jennie knew what was going on, she just couldn't believe it. How dare her own mother embarrass her like that. Was that really necessary? A simple phone call could've at least notified her that her credit card had been cut. Before she left, her mom was saying all kinds of crazy things, like learning how to live independently and working a part-time job. The thing is, though, her parents at least  _ owed  _ her the financial spoiling. After all, wasn't that what most rich moms do to their kids when they can't afford to give them any emotional availability?

Added to this was her annoying new puppy she acquired at the Coop. Jennie could practically list her life story by now, with the way she was blabbering the whole way to the library. Her name was Lisa, and she was  _ also  _ a freshman who enrolled late. She's an engineering student who wants to help her family, but her ultimate dream is to be a dancer. Annoyingly optimistic about juggling the two, if you asked Jennie.

_ Ugh, why do you even care? What were you thinking?  _ she scolded herself. If she had just kept to herself, this never would've been a problem. 

Although, Jennie couldn't help but feel bad for the person. Lisa stuck out like a sore thumb, with her baggy sweater and four sticks of hair that shot out of her head like an antenna. Lisa also happened to chance upon one of the few people in the school who didn't seem to speak a word of English. She looked like a lost puppy, and before Jennie knew it, she had already stepped in.

Jennie was walking two steps in front of Lisa when they arrived at the library. "Don't worry, just let me do the talking, okay?" She paused. "You know you look like an alien with those antennas on your head, right?" 

Lisa opened her mouth to speak, but Jennie had already turned smoothly on her heel, leaving Lisa trodding behind her.

"Hi." Jennie flashed her gummy smile at the librarian, resting her arm on the counter. "I just need to borrow two copies of the Math 1 module, for me and my friend over here?" Jennie cringed at the word  _ friend _ as soon as she said this, but it was too late.

"Allow me to check for you," the librarian replied. Jennie took this opportunity to glance at Lisa, checking to see if Lisa had heard her call her "my friend". Thankfully, Lisa's antenna hairs were pointing towards the back of the room as she marveled at the library's exquisite architecture. 

"Ah, there's only one copy left. Perhaps you two can share?"

"Please excuse me," Jennie said, her smile wavering as  she turned to her newfound "friend". "Hey, Lilah, was it?"

"It's  _ Lisa _ ."

"Oh. Right." Jennie knew that. Why was she trying so hard to look like she didn't care? "Anyway, there's only one copy left and I really have to take it. I have a test due tomorrow at five and my professor is already on my ass about it."

Lisa looked at Jennie incredulously. Jennie watched as Lisa scanned her from head to toe, eyeing her Chanel backpack and her Gucci sneakers. She knew. She knew what Lisa was thinking.

"Look," Lisa began slowly.  _ Here it comes,  _ Jennie thought. "I'm here on full scholarship, okay? And to be honest, you look like the kind of person who can get that book if you just make a few phone calls or something."

Jennie rolled her eyes. Lisa was right, but to call her mother? She wasn't going that low.  _ No _ , she thought, she wasn't giving her mother that satisfaction. At least not for a few days. 

"I don't know what makes you think you can judge me like that. I wouldn't have followed you into the library if I could've just made a phone call, right?" Jennie snapped. "You're on full scholarship, so I assume you're smart enough to understand."

"Okay, I get that, but I'm behind, too," Lisa pleaded. "I'm a late enrollee too, remember? I really need to study or I might lose my scholarship. Can't we just share or something?"

"How about you just photocopy the book or take photos of the pages you need or something," Jennie said, her voice rising. The stress of the day was finally getting to her, and she was starting to reach her tipping point.

"You can't do that," the librarian behind her butt in.

"Fine," Jennie crossed her arms, peeking at her watch. "I still have a class to attend, but you can meet me at my dorm at 4 PM. I'm in Leverett House, room 417."

She turned around and left, rushing to get to her next class, which she realized was conveniently on the other side of campus.  _ Great _ , she thought.  _ Just great.  _

But as she was sprinting to her next class, and even as her professor droned on and on about Accounting 101, she began to wonder why she couldn't get the alien girl out of her mind. As crazy as she looked, her smile managed to creep up on Jennie, whose lips turned upwards at its mere thought.

It was the first time she smiled all day.


End file.
